LISBON — A former arms factory that once churned out German-designed rifles for Portugal's colonial wars might seem an inauspicious place for Angela Merkel's embattled government to pursue a diplomatic drive to win hearts and minds in southern Europe.

Yet Merkel's Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth last week trekked out to the old weapons plant — now an alternative arts center and hip night spot — as part of a discreet and unconventional tour to burnish Berlin's image in the austerity jaded south.

"I know that Portugal needs to cope with many problems and there is an economic and social crisis," Roth told a youthful audience. "But our ambassador told me that 60,000 employees here in Portugal work for German companies."

Rather than the customary hobnobbing with politicians and business leaders, Roth is holding a series of town hall meetings in out-of-the-way venues in an effort to connect directly with citizens disaffected by painful economic policies imposed on the eurozone's debt-laden periphery over the past six years.

"Germany now is trying to build bridges in places where the relationship was very tense and focused on financial and economic issues" — Marina Costa Lobo, political scientist

"In today’s Europe, we sometimes talk about each other instead of talking and listening to each other," Roth said in an interview. "I very much value a sincere and open dialogue, especially among young and promising thinkers and not only among political elites."

Roth began his tour in Athens in December. He heads to Rome in early April. Stops in Madrid and Marseilles are also planned.

Euroskeptic Britain is contemplating breaking from the EU; Italy's Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has turned prickly over eurozone financial rules cherished by Berlin; French President François Hollande is too wrapped up with domestic woes to be much help.

Southern countries like Portugal and Spain that generally share Germany's deep commitment to the European project could be useful allies, if Merkel's government can surmount years of resentment over Berlin-inspired belt-tightening.

Curious twist of fate

"Germany now is trying to build bridges in places where the relationship was very tense and focused on financial and economic issues," said Marina Costa Lobo, a political scientist at the University of Lisbon who moderated Roth's debate.

"They have launched a charm offensive because, by a curious twist of fate, they find themselves in a situation where they feel vulnerable and feel they need help," she added.

The town hall meetings are the first stage of a wider German program to build up civil society networks with southern Europe.

The aim is to overcome "this stereotyping coming up between the 'heartless Germans' and the 'lazy southerners', which is basically bullshit," said Philipp Sälhoff, of the Progressive Zentrum, a Berlin think tank that is helping organize the program.

"Germany does not have such a negative image here as, for example, it has in Greece" — Marina Costa Lobo

"During the last six, seven years with the financial crisis, there were a lot of misunderstandings, stereotypes coming up," Sälhoff said. "By connecting and talking about common issues and listening to each other's perspectives, we want to avoid that such a situation occurs again."

Roth's talk — in an exhibition room decorated with arty black-and-white nude photos — was pointedly devoid of the demands for debt reduction and adherence to deficit targets that southerners have become accustomed to hearing from German officials.

"This is not my perception!" Roth interjected after his Portuguese counterpart, Secretary of State for European Affairs Margarida Marques, suggested many in Berlin believe Portugal's new left-wing government "is going off the rails in terms of financial responsibility."

Instead, Roth's narrative during the six-hour debate highlighted Germany's role as a bulwark against populism, friend to refugees, promoter of job-boosting investment and staunch defender of the European ideal.

"I grew up 500 meters away from the former border with the GDR and I was 19 when the Wall fell ... this was one of the most moving moments in my life," he recalled. "And I promised myself I would never accept new walls, new fences in Europe. That is why I am really fed up with the current developments in the European Union."

Roth is No.2 to German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and like his boss is a member of the Social Democratic party (SPD), junior partner in the governing coalition with Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU).

He showed up tieless in Lisbon and eschewed the formality that often characterizes German political exchanges, urging participants to drop titles and address him as "just Michael, please."

He cast fence-building central European strongmen like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Slovak Premier Robert Fico as the villains of Europe's refugee crisis.

"I am extremely far away from the political attitude of Mr. Fico," said Roth, even though Fico's Smer party remains an SPD ally in the European Parliament. "I totally disagree with all his statements on migration and asylum and refugees."

That went down well with the audience in Portugal where there is parliamentary consensus on a generous European refugee policy and strong cross-party support for closer European integration that has survived divisions over austerity.

"The only time chancellor Merkel appeared on Portuguese televisions was when she was talking about austerity," an audience member told Roth. "I'm not ideologically close to her but ... right now Merkel is more approachable from a Portuguese standpoint because of her position on refugees."

The Bad Münstereifel connection

During a post-debate reception over nibbles and organic wine in the cultural center's Nietzsche room, one German participant acknowledged: "This went better than in Athens, they complained more over there."

In Portugal, bitterness over Berlin's refusal to relax eurozone financial requirements during the years of recession and record unemployment did not translate into the sort of anti-German sentiment voiced at Greek demonstrations.

Portugal expects no payback for supporting Germany on the refugee issue.

"Germany does not have such a negative image here as, for example, it has in Greece," said Costa Lobo, the political scientist. "We never participated in World War II, there are wounds in Greece that run much deeper."

Lisbon politicians recall fondly the role West Germany played in solidifying democracy after Portugal's 1974 revolution that toppled decades of dictatorship.

State Secretary Marques reminded the meeting that Portugal's governing Socialist Party was founded in the spa resort of Bad Münstereifel in 1973 by exiles granted refuge by the West Germans.

Germany can expect support from Portugal in its fight against the centrifugal pressures currently afflicting Europe. The government and the opposition parties are strongly pro-EU and share German fears over threats to the bloc's future.

Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva last week warned of "devastating" consequences if Britain pulls out or if the Schengen free-travel zone collapses. He insisted Portugal expects no payback for supporting Germany on the refugee issue.

Still, his government and others across the eurozone periphery have a long wish list for easing their financial straits which they would like Berlin to consider — from flexible application of budget deficit rules, or relaxing the eurozone's 60 percent debt-to-GDP target, to a common guarantee scheme for European bank deposits.

Friendly chats in hipster hangouts may be a start to mending bridges, but Germany may yet have to do more to cement its southern alliance.

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Filippo

So, now they’re looking for help, how cute! Where has that lovely ‘just do your homeworks and shut up’ attitude gone? And the old good ‘accept our rules or get starved?
Do their really believe that sending that idiot around in round tables on advice of some think tank is enough after they’ve been poisoning the whole continent with their greed and paranoia? After they’ve been provoking crisis deliberately to enjoy the safe haven effect to let capitals escape southern europe and fly to Berlin? So you want to know about the wish list, don’t you? Here it is: eurobonds, ecb as lender of last resort, fiscal compact cancelled, end of paranoic internal devaluation. Do you guess that the psychotic duo Schauble and Weidmann will like it? Just ask before coming, Mr Roth, or save the money for the flight ticket. If the wish list is too long it just mean that you haven’t weakened enough yet, and alter all strength is the only language you can understand. We can wait

Posted on 3/16/16 | 9:27 AM CET

Roy Jacobs

Germany, the Billy No Mates of Europe.

Posted on 3/16/16 | 10:17 AM CET

ironworker

Yeah, they rape you with their austerity and draconic financial rules and regulations for almost a decade and now they want “to build bridges”. I’m dying to know Portuguese answer.

Posted on 3/16/16 | 12:19 PM CET

Iwantout

It did make me laugh when I read “Roth’s narrative…. Germany’s role as a bulwark against populism, friend to refugees, promoter of job-boosting investment and staunch defender of the European ideal. “
Bulwark against populism, go tell that to Pegida and AfD, organisations that did not exist 5 years ago. The unkind might suggest that German policies have helped boost similar organisations across the EU with its economic intransigence.
Friend to refugees, well at least 1.1m would agree with you, although others may wonder who gave Chancellor Merkel the right to decide EU policy on the matter unilaterally.
Promoter of job boosting investment, with 20% of it’s population gone (http://portuguese-american-journal.com/report-portuguese-lost-20-of-active-population-to-migration-portugal/) and youth unemployment at 29.9% one has to wonder how effective this has been for Portugal.
Staunch defender of the European ideal, one might ask what exactly is the European ideal, given that different countries have different ideas.

Posted on 3/16/16 | 2:28 PM CET

Yiannis

Isn’t it funny how the northerners, who showered us ‘Mediterranean darkies’ with every insulting under the sun (lazy, crooks, corrupt, etc., etc.) always bristle with righteous contempt when we throw the stereotypes related to them in their faces?

And isn’t it funny that whenever they need something from us, we are all the best of friends, joined by our ‘european values’ and our ‘common european dream’, but when we find ourselves in their mercy, they kick us in the teeth?

The sooner this monstrosity called the EU goes to hell, the better we’ll be. Let’s hope that the British still have the courage to save the peoples of Europe for the third time in 100 years and get the ball rolling.

Posted on 3/16/16 | 6:10 PM CET

Filippo

All the portuguese parties share the german fears about the future of EU….are you sure? Could you swear on it? I knew that portugal communist party had in its electoral program the exit not only from EU but from NATO as well! And they are in the majority…
I wonder if this kind of propaganda article on a springer group website is part of the charming offensive it talks about…
It’s lovely to see them becoming soft and kind now that they are in trouble but never forget that once they regain some strength they would suddenly restart behaving like they did until some months ago. Mao Ze Dong would suggest: beat the drowning dog

Posted on 3/16/16 | 6:16 PM CET

jay

Ah Germany, trying to wreck Europe for a 3rd time. Why not start with destabilizing the Balkans… with a flood of INVITED immigrants by Merkel. I guess her advisors forgot how Lebanon became a failed state after Palestinian refugees took over the place. I also think her advisors forgot how easily Germans get radicalized when they feel frustrated about something… like refugees running a muck in their back yard.

Posted on 3/16/16 | 9:44 PM CET

giuseppe marrosu

I defend germans as one of the most responsible peoples in Europe, despite the many mistakes by their Chancelor and their government.
I believe that the portuguese share this sense of responsibility and have understood that Germany and the EU are friends.

Posted on 3/16/16 | 11:26 PM CET

ironworker

I guess germans are “taking the pulse”, meaning, they are collecting intel about the level of hostility against them.

Posted on 3/17/16 | 5:32 PM CET

Alexander Malinowski

@giuseppe marrosu Are really Germans the most responsible people in Europe? For example by cancelling South Stream and at the same time trying to build North Stream 2? Very responsible and very solidar with others.